⭐️ETV that backbenchers exert significant influence in parliament

Question 1

Para headings & LOA

Answer 1

1. Scrutiny
2. Legislation - Priv. member bills
3. Representation
   LOA =

Question 2

Para 1: Scrutiny in Select Committees & Debates

Answer 2

Select Committees = 1 per gov. dep. | MPs = members | min. of 11 members |cross-party manner decide line of inquiry & gather written & oral evidence

Selected Committee chairs:
* elected through secret ballot > gov. cannot control who runs them > rivals & critics of PM can ascend to powerful positions > can check the power of the government.
* Rebellious MPs have habit of nominating troublesome backbenchers
* EXAMPLE: **Jeremy Hunt as Chair of the Health Select Committee **

• MPs can produce non-partisan recommendations
• 40% are accepted as legislation
• EXAMPLE: Health And Social Care Committee made reports on the gov.’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Debates:
* often free of the control of whips (not bound by the convention of collective ministerial responsibility)
* 2nd reading = most meaningful of the three debate stages - scrutinising the principles of the bill.
* EXAMPLE: the Lords Spiritual’s interventions in the Same Sex Couples Act 2013, offering religious objections to the proposals.
* During debates MPs and Lords have parliamentary privilege = legal immunity > allow them to perform their duties without interference from outside of the House - including pure freedom of speech.

Question 3

Para 2:
Legislation - Private Member Bills

Answer 3

• The legislative agenda of Parl. = dominated by HMG but are opps. for backbenchers to change the law. | MPs and Lords have an annual lottery to determine which members can introduce a Private Member Bill (PMB).
• can also propose amendments (at Committee Stage). Backbench and opposition MPs often amend bills in the Commons.

MPs can introduce major legislative change despite not being on the front bench:
* EXAMPLE: -Chris Bryant, a Labour backbench MP and seated on the opposition benches, introduced the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act 2018.
* Other Private Members’ Bills have legalised abortion, homosexuality and secured the abolition of the death penalty.

Ensure Parliamentary business is not entirely government dominated & allow greater degree of representation:
* EXAMPLE: issues that effect MPs’ constituents and the poP. in general & they can settle non-partisan political issues = the Abortion Act of 1967 was a PMB.

HOWEVER private member bills only receive 10 minutes per MP/peer. This is not a substantial allocation of time for serious scrutiny of a bill. Moreover, Private Member Bills are only considered on Fridays which would suggest they’re not taken entirely serious

Question 4

Para 3:
Representation

Answer 4

Many backbench MPs are strong ‘constituency MPs’ rather than focusing on a ministerial position or a role on a select committee.
* EXAMPLE: constituency MPs from the Liverpool area pressurised gov. into reopening an investigation into Hillsborough.

Plenty of backbenchers are redressing the grievances of their constituents, mainly through written and oral questions.
* EXAMPLE: one of the final acts of Sir David Amess MP = write a written question to HMG concerning airport pollution in his residential areas in his constituency.

MPs increasingly willing to work in opposition coalition with different opposition centres in Parl. to secure funding for their constituencies.
* EXAMPLE: ‘Red Wall’ Cons. MPs founded the Northern Research Group faction within the Commons = champions infrastructure funding for the north > the new ‘free port’ in Hartlepool.

Constituency surgeries:
* split their time between the Commons and their constituencies issues, backed by substantial staff allocations so that they can redress as many constituent grievances as possible.
* EXAMPLE:** Jacob Rees-Mogg** plays a full role in his rural constituency in Somerset, promoting the farming industry and defences against seasonal flooding.

Question 5

Counter: holding gov. to account